Odometer



(MorleL) J. GILLESPIE.

ODOMETER. N0. 290,767. Patented Dec. 25, 1883.

WITNESSES:

' ATTORNEYS.

UNiTEn STATES PATENT OErrcE.

JAMES GILLESPIE, OF XVEST POINT, OHIO.

ODOMETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,767, dated December25, 183

Application filed October S, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES GrLLEsrIE, of \Vest Point, in the county ofOolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Odometer,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to improve odometers by means hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved odometer, as seen lookingfrom behind the vehicle. Fig. 2 is an elevation as seen looking to theside of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a section on line m x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a section on line 2 z of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line y y ofFig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the unit-wheel. Fig. 7 is aview showing the local relation of certain pawls, hk, and springs Z,hereinafter described.

I provide a hollow cylindrical case, a, for containing the counting andrecording mechanism, which is mounted on a hollow base, I), thelengthwise direction of which ranges transversely to the case a andalong the axle c, whereon it is fitted to rest as a saddle for thesupport of the apparatus, the said base being secured to the axle by aclip, (1, fitted through slots 6 of the sides of the base and over itsbottom f. The shaft 9 of a worm, h, is arranged in suitable bearings inthis base, with one end projecting through the end of said base next toone of the carriage-wheels, and carrying a six-pronged wheel, 2 to beshifted one stage at each revolution of the carriage-wheel by a stud, j,projecting radially from the inner end of the hub 7c. The worm h turnsthe unitwheel Z of the recording mechanism, whichis fitted to the centerstud or shaft, m, and turns the long pointer n by said shaft. Thepointer a registers the travel of the carriage on the outer scale of thedial 0, according to the proportions of the gearing, which are to besuch that said pointer will make one revolution to the mile, or someother number, as five or ten, according to the aggregate amount that itis desired that the instrument shall record. This wheel Zis connected tosaid shaft 121 by a ratchet- (Mcdeld wheel, 1), pawl q, and a spring, 8,that allow said wheel to be turned backward without turning the pointersback whenever the carriage may be backed, and it allows of shifting thepointer to reset it. The wheel Z carries a cam-stud, t, that raises abell-hammer, a, once for each revolution when said wheel makes onerevolution per mile, and said hammer strikes a bell, o, by the action ofa spring, 10, and thus gives a signal for each mile traveled. In casesaid wheel Z is geared slower to count, say, five miles to onerevolution, it will have five camstuds for the hammer. The second wheel,:0, of the counter is fitted 011 a sleeve, ;1 that works on the shaft onand carries the middle pointer, z, and the third wheel, a, is fitted onanother sleeve, 2/, working on sleeve y, and carries the inner pointer,0.

Between wheel a and the dial-plate (1 there is a coiled spring, 6, thatpresses wheel (1 against a stud-pin, f. projecting from the side ofwheel a, and this wheel is thereby pressed against a stud-pin, g,projecting from an arm or disk, g'-, attached to shaft on. The wheelsthus pressed by the spring against these studs will be held by thefrictional contact of the studs, so as to be turned by them when notheld by their pawls h and notches 2",- but for certainty of beingturned, the said wheels may havelittle cavities j, formed on the side atthe points where said studs bear when the wheels are to be turned bythem. The pawls h 79 and spring Z are carried by the same journaledplate, :0, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The stud g of the disk 1lifts the pawl h of wheel as out of the notches of said wheel once forevery revolution by raising the arm L of said pawl, allowing wheel. a;to be turned one notch for recording the aggregates of the distancemeasured by one revolution of wheel I. On the middle scale of the dialin like manner the stud f of wheel as lifts the pawl h of wheel a oncefor every revolution of wheel mby arm 7; of saidpawl. To allow wheel ato move one notch and record the aggregate distance measured by onerevolution of wheel x on the outer scale of the dial, the springs Z"press the pawls h down into the notches 1' after the studs g and fescapefrom the arms 76', to stop the wheels :0 and a after turning thedistance of one notch.

In this example the wheel Z is represented as geared to revolve once foreach mile of travel by the carriage, and the succeeding wheels to beturned once for every fifteen turns of the preceding wheels, which makesthe total capacity of the instrument two hundred and twenty-five numberswith three wheels; but more wheels and pointers may be added, or thecapacity of the same number of wheels may be greatly increased bygearing the wheel Z to run slower.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In an odometer, the combination of the saddle-base1), adapted to be clipped to the axle, having the screw-shaft g, andprovided with the pronged wheel "Z, with the cylindrical case a, havingthe counting mechanism, pointers, and dials arranged in it, saidcounting mechanism being geared with the screw-shaft, as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with a vehicle-axle, of a wheel having stud j on itshub k, a shaft, 9, carrying a worm, h, and six-.pronged wheel Z, theunitwheel Z, carrying a cam-stud, t, the shaft m, carrying the pointer11, the ratchet and pawl 19 q, the hammer a, the bell 'v, and the spring10, whereby the desired distance will be simultaneously registered andannounced, as described.

3. The combination, in a counting mechanism for odometers, of theunit-wheel Z, tripping and driving stud g, and an addingwheel, a", saidwheel having notches Z and a holdingpawl, h, and said pawl having anarm, 70, for being lifted by the stud g, and a spring, Z, to return thepawl into the notches of said wheel, substantially as described.

4c. The combination, with the pointer-shaft m, carrying disk g thesleeves b y, carrying pointers c z, the wheels at x, of which the latterhas a stud-pin, f, and the coil-spring e, as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination, with the wheels a at, having the side cavities, j,and the springpawls h, of the disk g", having stud-pin g, the wheel a:being also provided with a stud-pin, f, as and for the purposespecified.

' JAMES GILLESPIE.

Vitnesses:

GEORGE W. DURBIN, WEsLEY GRATE.

